A non-commercial vehicle that already has a valid registration from another jurisdiction has 30 days from the date it enters Alabama to be registered here. The Alabama Department of Revenue states that rule on its new-resident FAQ and cites Section 40-12-262. Before the county can issue a plate, a vehicle that needs an Alabama title must have a title application, and the vehicle must be covered by an Alabama liability policy. The same FAQ says Alabama law does not provide for emissions testing.
A purchase uses a different clock. The department says any person who acquires a new or used motor vehicle must get a license plate within 20 calendar days of acquisition, and the title application must be finished first if the vehicle is subject to the title law. If day 20 is a Sunday, a holiday, or a day the office is closed, the next working day is the last day.
What has to happen, in order
- Get an Alabama liability policy that meets the minimums below. License plate officials try to verify coverage in the Online Insurance Verification System. If that check fails, you show evidence of Alabama insurance.
- Apply for an Alabama certificate of title through a designated agent of the Department of Revenue when the vehicle requires a title. Registration cannot be processed until that application is done.
- If no certificate of title is required, the licensing official or an appointed deputy inspects the vehicle and the ownership papers each time ownership changes. The department says that inspection is not required on a renewal.
- Register at the license plate issuing office in the county where you live, and pay the registration fees and ad valorem taxes that office collects. A business registers in the county where the vehicle is used or operated.
Documents to bring
The title FAQ says an applicant surrenders the outstanding manufacturer's certificate of origin, or the certificate of title that is already in the applicant's name or assigned to the applicant, plus any papers that support the transfer. If the vehicle is registered in a place that does not title that kind of vehicle, surrender the registration documents that show ownership. The department says more papers may be required if it cannot tell whether the vehicle meets federal and state safety, emissions, and anti-theft standards.
A physical Alabama address is required for the owner. A bill of sale is not required for a leased vehicle. If two owners are joined by "and," both sign the title application. If they are joined by "or," one signature is enough. The assignment does not have to be notarized.
Inspections
Emissions testing is not a prerequisite to registration. The department states that directly. There is no statewide safety-inspection program described on the new-resident FAQ.
When no certificate of title is required, the licensing official inspects the vehicle and the ownership papers before issuing a registration after a change of ownership. Trucks and truck tractors at 55,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more also need proof of federal heavy vehicle use tax, IRS Form 2290, before registration.
Tax on a car bought elsewhere
Use tax is an excise tax on tangible personal property purchased outside Alabama for storage, use, or other consumption in Alabama. The use tax page lists the state rate on new and used automotive vehicles as 2 percent of the net trade difference. Counties and municipalities may levy local use tax from 0.1 percent to 5 percent.
Each purchaser who owes use tax is entitled to full credit for legally imposed sales or use tax paid on the same property to another state and any subdivision. The September 11, 2017, casual-sales notice says county officials should allow credit for sales tax legally imposed by another state, as shown on a bill of sale or invoice. The credit applies first to state use tax, then to local use tax, and it cannot exceed the Alabama tax due on that property. Tax that was not legally due in the other state is not credited. Ask the licensing office to apply the 2 percent automotive rate and the local rate for your county.
Insurance minimum
The mandatory liability insurance page states the minimum as $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for all injuries or deaths in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The policy must be an Alabama policy from an insurer qualified in Alabama. A bond or a cash deposit can stand in place of a policy. A registration that is not insured is suspended. The reinstatement fee is $200 the first time and $400 after that, and current insurance is still required.
Temporary tags and fees
The new-resident FAQ does not describe a temporary tag for a car you already own. Confirm any drive-home permit with the county licensing office. That office collects registration fees and ad valorem taxes. The FAQ does not print one passenger-car fee for every county. Use the department's license plate pages for the schedule.
Military, students, and a shipped car
Military members stationed in Alabama may keep a valid title and registration from their legal home jurisdiction. Registering in Alabama is optional, and it requires an Alabama liability policy. The pages opened today do not describe a student exemption from registration. Ask the county licensing office if you are in school and still claim another state as home.
A shipped car does not cross the state line with you at the wheel. The 30-day period on the new-resident FAQ runs from the date the vehicle enters Alabama, so delivery starts that clock, and any ownership inspection the county requires still happens after the car arrives. See car shipping in Alabama and the cost calculator. Paperwork for a car you bought in another state is covered in paperwork when you buy out of state and sales tax and use tax when a car moves.